The present invention relates to a mounting method of semiconductor elements, a separation method and an apparatus of semiconductor elements, and further a manufacturing method of an IC card, in which the semiconductor elements are cut out into a unit of an electronic element (i.e., a semiconductor chip) from a condition of a semiconductor wafer or a condition of electronic parts being connected together in series, and the semiconductor element or electronic part cut or separated is picked up so as to be mounted on a tray or a board to be mounted, such as a circuit board or the like.
For example, a conventional technology is known in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-295930 (1994) (conventional art 1) and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-97214 (1994) (conventional art 2), in which semiconductor element (i.e., a semiconductor chip) is cut out as a unit thereof under the condition where a semiconductor wafer is stuck on an adhesive sheet, and the cut out semiconductor elements are striped with or removed from the adhesive sheet to be picked up.
In the conventional art 1, there is described that bonding force or power between the adhesive sheet and the semiconductor chip(s) is weaken by rubbing the reverse surface of the adhesive sheet, on which the semiconductor chips to be removed are attached, by means of a movable pin(s), while the semiconductor chip is lifted up, equally, with elevating thrust pins provided around the movable pin(s) together therewith, thereby separating or removing the semiconductor chip(s) from the adhesive sheet, the bonding force of which is weaken.
And, in the conventional art 2, while an adhesive sheet on which a large number of pellets are fixedly held, with directing the pellets below, sphere-like surfaces for pushing the adhesive sheet are formed at the lower ends of a needle unit, then the pellet is separated from the adhesive sheet by pushing down sharpened needles from the tips of the needle unit, thereby to be absorbed through vacuum by a collet(s) located below.
On a while, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 1-264236 (1989) (conventional art 3) is known a conventional technology for cutting the semiconductor wafer into a unit of the semiconductor element (i.e., the semiconductor chips) under the condition where the wafer is stuck on the adhesive sheet. In more detail, this conventional art 3 described a wafer break technology for severing the semiconductor elements under the condition of a wafer into the element units, by moving a roller having a bulge at a center thereof, while pushing the adhesive sheet attached onto a frame ring and the wafer treated with semi-full cutting and fixed on the adhesive sheet, from the reverse surface thereof.
On a while, for example for the semiconductor chip to be installed into an IC card or the like, a requirement of thinning in the thickness thereof is made from a necessity of thin-sizing of the end product, such as the IC card or the like. In this manner, when manufacturing the product, such as the IC card, by mounting such the thin semiconductor chip onto a circuit board (a board to be mounted) constructing the product, it must be performed without injuring nor breaking of the thin semiconductor chip(s).
However, in the conventional art 1 mentioned above, since the semiconductor chip is separated from the adhesive sheet by lifting up the semiconductor chip, equally, while elevating the movable pin together with the thrust pins provided around the movable pin, therefore the area for separation is small with respect to that of the adhesive surface on the semiconductor chip, in particular, in a case of the thin semiconductor chip, there is high possibility that the thin semiconductor chip cannot be separated but is rather broken or injured.
Also, in the conventional art 2, since the pellet is separated from the adhesive sheet by pushing down the needle sharpened at the tip, in particular, in a case of the thin semiconductor chip, there is high possibility that the thin semiconductor chip cannot be separated but is rather broken or injured therefrom.
And, the conventional art 3 relates to the wafer break technology for cutting out the semiconductor elements under the condition of the wafer into an element unit thereof.
In this manner, any one of those conventional arts mentioned above does not pay consideration onto the aspects, i.e., cutting the thin semiconductor wafer into a unit of the thin semiconductor element (i.e., the semiconductor chip) under the condition of being attached onto the adhesive sheet, and separating a group of the thin semiconductor elements being cut out in a condition of lines from the adhesive sheet, by means of the absorption collet, with removing them from the adhesive sheet at high speed, without injuring and breaking each semiconductor element thereof.